Not so long ago, the main mission with website writing was to keep content lean and tight; less words rather than more. These days content has morphed into the conversationalist at the dinner party who’s trying to keep everyone entertained.
Google is the omnipotent dinner party host, deciding whether the person gets attention or not. If the conversationalist knows their stuff and keeps things lively, Google will remain attentive and provide rewards. If the conversationalist is dull and boring, or makes things up rather than talking truth (aka alternative facts), Google will freeze them out and turn elsewhere for entertainment and enlightenment.
What does this mean for your search-dependent business?
Google’s love of rich content is both an opportunity and a challenge.
- The opportunity is to get more bang for your bucks, because filling your website with good SEO content to attract organic searches can be a lot cheaper than running Google AdWords or a traditional advertising campaign. What’s more, when people click through to your site they find rich content that’s more likely to convert their interest into action.
- The challenge is to get that great content. There are a couple of ways to solve this challenge.
- If you have writers within your team, and they have time available, give them topics and lists of key words, then get them producing articles of 300 to 800 words. You might need to source a freelance editor for style and grammar checking, just to be certain your content is spick and span. Make sure the articles are browsable and scannable, using H2 subheads and bullet points. Infographics and images also help to keep articles engaging.
- If you don’t have in-house writers, hire a professional freelance content writer. A good writer will know how to extract the facts required for each story, usually by interviewing subject matter experts within your team or through online research; they’ll also know how to include SEO tactics, based on key word research.
Where should your new SEO content live on your website?
The news or blog section of your website is the obvious place for a weekly, fortnightly or monthly injection of content, but there are other places to add articles that will plump up your site. For example:
- If you don’t have a case study section, add one. Case studies based on happy client experiences can follow a problem/solution/result format. Make sure each study is at least 30 words long.
- Within your services section, articles can become sub-pages. Link to them at the end of your service intro or add a side menu.
Let content strategy lead the way
Before you start throwing new content at your website, make a plan. Think about your audience and their needs; also consider your business’s competitive advantages. Then come up with topics related to those needs and advantages. Plan your articles up to three months in advance, but stay flexible enough to respond to market conditions with an extra story or two.
Need help with website content writing?
Of course this is a pitch, but reading this story to this point proves the power of good content writing. With more than 25 years’ experience of writing for the web, Word Joiner works with some of New Zealand’s leading brands to develop engaging SEO content. Email jo@wordjoiner.co.nz or call 021 192 6699.